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I Accuse

Play trailer I Accuse 1938 1h 35m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 2 Reviews 56% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
After surviving the bloodshed of World War I, soldier Jean Diaz (Victor Francen) sacrifices his dream of being a poet for a far more important pursuit: ending war. Turning to science, Diaz dedicates himself to creating technology that will make combat obsolete. Bankrolling the project is tycoon Henri Chimax (Jean Max). But, when World War II becomes imminent, Chimax sees an opportunity to bolster the French war effort -- and swipes Diaz's pacifist invention so it can be used by the army.

Critics Reviews

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Bob Baker Time Out Pure Gance. Nov 15, 2007 Full Review TV Guide An excellent antiwar film, J'Accuse is all the more poignant considering it was produced and released in France shortly before the Occupation. Rated: 3.5/4 Nov 15, 2007 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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DanTheMan 2 A cry of cinematic anguish and a statement of mankind's tragic propensity for war, I have the utmost respect for Abel Gance for taking his already powerful original and, with the advantage of sound, succeeded in giving this J'accuse a much more frenziedly apocalyptic feel, putting his vehement opposition to any future conflict into cinematic form. The brutality, inhumanity and injustice of the war are eloquently expressed through the juxtaposition of touching little vignettes and archive footage depicting the devastation of the war. Gance conveys that the terrible human cost of warfare with painful ease, over-emphatic, to the point of hysteria, which makes for an experience at once bizarre and understandable in its desperation. It’s a combination of great performances, Henri Verdun's score and the exceptional photography that delivers a truly eerie experience once the dead start to rise, in something just as frightening, if not more so than the original, a truly grotesque parade of death. While some have said that the advent of sound ultimately stifled Gance's creativity, this J’accuse proves otherwise, but when it came to imagining the misery and suffering that WWII would bring, he was way, way out of his league. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/10/25 Full Review Audience Member remake opf silent-i like this one best of the 2 Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member this is one of those few remakes that is superior to the original Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review James B it's not perfect. it definitely falls into some pre-war movie cliches, and gance falls back on silent film techniques in many scenes. aside from that, it is very passionate and powerful. the imagery is quite moving, and this is definitely worth watching if you get the chance. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 06/30/07 Full Review Read all reviews
I Accuse

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Cast & Crew

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Abel Gance

Director

Victor Francen

Jean Diaz

Jean-Max

Henri Chimay

Marcel Delaître

François Laurin

Renée Devilliers

Helene

Line Noro

Edith
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I Accuse

I Accuse (1938) I Accuse (1938) I Accuse (1938) I Accuse (1938) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis After surviving the bloodshed of World War I, soldier Jean Diaz (Victor Francen) sacrifices his dream of being a poet for a far more important pursuit: ending war. Turning to science, Diaz dedicates himself to creating technology that will make combat obsolete. Bankrolling the project is tycoon Henri Chimax (Jean Max). But, when World War II becomes imminent, Chimax sees an opportunity to bolster the French war effort -- and swipes Diaz's pacifist invention so it can be used by the army.
Director
Abel Gance
Producer
Abel Gance
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Canadian French
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 30, 1938, Original
Runtime
1h 35m